News &AMP; Events

from Ian Macleod Distillers

NEW WHISKY BRAND LAUNCHES

17th February 2006

February 17 2006; Ian
Macleod Distillers is officially launching a brand new Scotch whisky aimed at
the modern drinker.

SMOKEHEAD is a
contemporary, individual and exciting whisky, available in selected bars and
retailers across the UK
and worldwide.

The brand uses innovative,
'stand-out' designer packaging. A distinctive and tactile embossed and debossed
tin generates shelf impact, consumer 'wow' factor and brand value. The main
front bottle label is uniquely placed on the bottle rear reflecting a variety
of adjectives such as Robust, Outrageous, Monstrous and Boisterous, (alluding
to the powerful taste of the malt inside), back through the spirit itself.

"Unlike some contemporary
whisky brands that have appeared recently on the market, Smokehead is not a
subtle flavour," said Iain Weir, Head of Marketing for Ian Macleod.
"Smokehead is a heavily peated Islay
single malt scotch whisky." He continued, "It's like a cannonball -
an explosive rollercoaster of peat, smoke and spice with some delicate
sweetness!"

The single malt flavour is described
as fresh, fruity and immense, with notes of sherry, iodine, toffee, smoke and
sea salt. The taste hits the palate at once with cocoa, peat and some honey
sweetness, before exploding with peppery spice and more earthy peat.

The launch of Smokehead follows
considerable consumer research, which found that consumers either love or hate Islay malts. Those who love them, of which there is a
large market, are extremely loyal and so this new product has been launched to
target these "Smokeheads". The launch will be supported by a full
sales and marketing programme.

Iain Weir concluded, "The
initial reaction to SMOKEHEAD has been outstanding. We expect to create a very
strong brand ideally suited to the new generation of adventurous malt whisky
drinkers who are looking for an exciting, accessible and innovative modern
brand which does not use old-fashioned Scotch whisky imagery and heritage. We
are confident that this malt whisky will prove highly successful."